Batgirl of the Future: Running Out of Inque
by Watership's Nightwish Rat
Summary: Coba Brooklyn wakes up chained in a sports arena with no memory of her past- -thus no memory of her training. As she recalls more of her past, she realizes that she must remember more of her training and escape before Inque gets revenge on her, Bruce Wayne and Coba's estranged half-brother, Terry McGinnis. Meanwhile, Terry must overcome his own demons if he is to help Coba...
1. Prologue

**Author's Notes:**

**Here it is, the first official sequel to _Batgirl of the Future: Rebirth_. Inspiration for this book came about from my fascination with the _Batman Beyond_ episodes "Blackout" and "Disappearing Inque", primarily the latter. At first I was going to start this story off from where the first one left off (Terry and Coba leaving the Batcave to stop a robbery), then thought about having this one extremely similar to "Disappearing Inque." After a couple days of considering the different choices I could toy with (which, when all added together, were a_ lot_), I decided to go with having it similar to "Disappearing Inque," but with several twists, including references to a version of "Blackout" involving Coba.  
**

**I do not own _Batman Beyond_ or its characters. I only own Coba Brooklyn and the plot ideas that do not match those of "Disappearing Inque" and "Blackout."  
**

* * *

Coba Brooklyn woke up slowly, groaning painfully as her head throbbed. She took note of her surroundings briefly before she tried to move forward, but she was instantly pulled back with a rattling sound. _Oh no_, she thought with dismay. _This is not good at all._ Sure enough, she looked down to see that her suspicions were true: she was chained to a metal column! She gasped anxiously before she began to whimper fearfully. _How did I get here?_ she wondered._ Why don't I remember anything?_

"Is that you, Coba?" an old man's voice crackled through the radio in her cowl.

_A voice! _Coba flinched in surprise at first before she realized where the voice was coming from. "I- -" Coba paused, thinking for a moment. "I don't know if I _am_ Coba," she answered dully. Her tone suddenly became more serious and anxious. "Who is this and where are you?"

"My name is Bruce Wayne," the voice responded. "I'm at the Batcave. Do you remember any of that at all?"

Brooklyn let the man's name and location swim around in her head for a moment, but she did not recognize him or the name of the place. "I'm afraid I don't remember anything at all," she stated glumly. "Who am I, do you know?"

"Your name is Coba Brooklyn," Wayne's voice replied, "and you are the Batgirl of this era."

"Does this explain why I'm wearing some sort of suit with a blue symbol of a bat?" Coba asked, a little surprised.

"Yes, it does," Bruce answered seriously. "How are you feeling?"

"My head hurts terribly, I'm bound to a large pole of some sort, and I'm honestly scared. I can't get free." Fear overwhelmed Coba's senses without warning. "Please sir, get me out of here! I think they're gonna kill me!" she squeaked in panic.

"Calm down, kid," Bruce's voice said reassuringly. "We'll get you out once we know where you are. Just try to relax and think for a moment. Can you recall anything that can help us locate you?"

Coba thought hard. "No, I'm afraid I don't. Wait, who's the us you're referring to?" she asked incredulously.

"Your brother and me."

"Brother..." Brooklyn pondered.

"I'm right next to Wayne, Coba," another static-y voice said, this one definitely younger than Wayne. "In case neither of you two remember, I'm _not_ your brother anymore."

Numerous memories came flooding into Coba's conscience all at once. "Terry..." she muttered. It all suddenly made sense to her. "I remember now," she said in a distant voice.

* * *

**Author's Notes:**

**There you go: now you have at _least_ a little bit of a better idea of where this story's going.  
**

**On a different note, who else thinks of the Scorpions song "Blackout" when they watch or think about the _Batman Beyond_ episode of the same name?  
**


	2. Chapter 1: Incident In The Cave

**Six months earlier.**

"Watch out!" Wayne shouted in warning to Terry.

Terrence McGinnis had no time to react as a black glob struck him, pushing him through a couple of rock pillars in the Batcave. _I led Inque into the cave! _he thought with rage as he was tossed around the cave like a rag doll. He found himself suspended up near the very top of the hideout, watching helplessly as Inque oozed her head up to where he was.

"Open wide!" she ordered in a sing-song voice.

Batman screamed in agony as the villain tightly constricted her body around his chest. Inque seized the opportunity to go into her prisoner's open mouth and suffocate him. Terry felt himself get weaker and weaker with each passing second. Inque suddenly stopped and pulled herself out as she felt the bottom of her body being pulled away. She looked down to see Batgirl trying hard to pull her apart. Without warning, Inque wrapped herself around the girl, still holding on to Terry. "This does not help you out at all whatsoever," she taunted as she started squeezing the life out of Coba.

Coba grinned weakly. "Let's let _time _decide on that," she gasped.

"What have I told you about calling me old in that manner?" a masked Bruce shouted as he shot water out of the fire hose he was holding.

Inque managed to dodge the blast of water, sending the liquid through a glass compartment containing things that belonged to Mr. Freeze. She flung some sharp shards from her arm at the elderly man. Bruce managed to dodge the deadly shards, but they instead broke through the hose. Water spread around on the floor behind Wayne, none of it close to Inque. "This is not good," he muttered.

Brooklyn gasped desperately for air as Inque continued with her wrath. Seeing her half-brother suffer from Inque's attack, however, sent her into a fit of rage. She suddenly broke through the evil woman's grasp and lunged at the fallen freeze gun. Inque noticed Batgirl's escape too late to do anything about it. Coba aimed the gun at the low part of Inque and fired, causing the villain to release Terry and unwillingly allow Coba to freeze the rest of her. Terry spat out the part of Inque that was still in him. Without waiting for the small blob to attack, the girl froze it as well. Coba fell down in exhaustion the next moment.

"Well, _that_ was nearly a disaster," Terry snarled, removing his mask. "What the heck were you thinking, Coba?"

Coba solemnly looked up at her half-brother from where she sat, also uncovering her face. Her right eye had a long jagged scar shaped like a lightning bolt. "Inque was trying to suffocate you," she explained through her gasps. "She would have killed you if she wasn't stopped."

Terry stared harshly at his half-sister. "So you decided to put yourself in danger and risk getting killed as well?"

"Sometimes you have to if it means saving a life!" Coba said, offended. "After being Batman for a week you should _know _that by now!"

"She's got a point," Bruce said as he approached them.

"Who asked you?" Terry snapped. "What kept you, anyway?"

"A sudden case of shyness," Wayne replied.

"You never really could live without a mask, could you?" Terry looked back at Coba. "You're more trouble than you're worth, sis," he said angrily. "You nearly killed all three of us tonight with your reckless behavior. I don't want you to go back out there as Batgirl ever again. If you do, you won't be my sister anymore. Understand?"

"I understand," Coba said glumly. _I hate it when he yells at me like that, she thought, but I hate it even more when I let him down._

"Good. I'll see you at school tomorrow," Terry stated. He turned around and walked out of the cave, his blood still boiling with rage.

Bruce walked over to Coba concernedly. "Are you alright?" he asked.

Coba kept staring at the rock floor. "I-I don't know," she confessed. "After what happened last week with Fixx and tonight with Inque I don't know if I really _am_ going crazy or not. I mean, while I was recovering from those injuries last week I started to hear my mother's voice inside my head. Not only that, but I found that I can understand what Ace is saying better than I use to. I also keep getting nightmares of things that'll happen the next day. I don't know anything anymore, Bruce. Am I as Terry said: more trouble than I'm worth?"

"Not in these eyes," Bruce explained. "You still have a lot of training to do before you go back out there."

"I'm not going out there anymore," Coba said flatly. "I can't let Terry down again."

Wayne hardened his gaze on the girl. "Look at me," he said seriously. Coba looked up at him through sad eyes. "You can't let his words keep you from doing the right thing. He'll understand soon enough if you end up disobeying him. You _must_ continue your training, especially with controlling your anxiety. I have a sneaking hunch that he'll need your help in the near future."

Brooklyn knew he was right. "Alright, you win," she surrendered. "But you _will_ need to show me and Terry around this cave as soon as possible."

The old man grinned. "No problem, _Batgirl_." He suddenly realized something. "Now wait a minute: if we don't want Terry to know about you continuing your training, we'll have to make sure that you're not in the cave while he is. Got that?"

The girl nodded. "Yes, first Batman," she replied.

"You know it makes me feel old when you say _first_ about me, right?" Bruce asked with a forced grin.

"Better than calling you _old_ or_ time_ though, right?" Coba countered. "Besides, I just called you _Batman_ as well."

Bruce grinned, this time without forcing himself. "That _is_ true in both cases, now that you mention it."


	3. Chapter 2: The Warning

**Almost six months later.**

Coba sat with her hands chained behind a wide pole, struggling to get free. "Are you sure I need to learn how to get out of this, Bruce?"

Bruce nodded. "Absolutely," he said, his tone dead serious. "Escaping from chains and ropes is one of the most overlooked techniques that can save your life. It's usually used by villains, but if you are ever held hostage by one of them, it's very important to know how to get out."

"Have you taught it to Terry yet?" Coba asked.

"He keeps avoiding it by choice," Bruce explained. "He thinks it's 'too lame' to learn."

Brooklyn smiled and chuckled grimly. "Yeah, I guess he would think that way."

"I've got some bad news," Terry said into his com-link.

"She got away?" Bruce asked.

"I didn't get away," Coba muttered.

"And broke the freeze gun while she was at it," Terry continued, fully unaware of his sister's presence in the cave, "but that wasn't the bad news."

"It gets worse?" Bruce asked concernedly.

"Uh huh. She knows where the entrance to the cave is, remember?"

"Well duh, I live here!" Coba murmured, a smug grin on her face.

Bruce looked at the big entrance to the cave concernedly, but he told his apprentice, "I'll be on the lookout. See you in a while."

"Yep, see ya then."

Wayne turned to look behind him. "How are you doing, Coba?" he asked the girl.

She shot a Batglare at her teacher. "What does it look like?" she snapped. "I'm tied to a pole!"

The old Batman grinned slightly. "It looks like you're practicing your escape technique," he said, his voice a little bit amused. "It's one of the easiest things to do, getting out of chains."

"It sure doesn't seem easy!" Coba yelled.

"Mind getting some advice from an expert?"

"Not at all," Coba stated a little more calmly.

"Twist one hand around in the direction of your other hand. Make sure you have a good hold of that chain."

Brooklyn firmly grabbed the chain with her right hand and twisted it toward her left. "Okay, I've got it. Now what?"

"Now pull your left hand free."

Coba pulled her left hand toward her carefully yet quickly. All of the chain's weight pulled down on her right hand. "Wow, it really was easy," she said in awe as she stood up, leaving the chain on the floor.

Bruce grinned. "Told ya so." He stood up from the computer chair, using his cane to help him. "That is all for today's lessons. You'd better get back to bed before your brother gets back and sees you in here."

"Alright," Coba stated. Although her crippled right leg did not hurt her anymore since she and her brother first took up the roles of Batgirl and Batman six months earlier, she limped out of cave. "Goodnight," she called behind her.

Wayne smiled. "Goodnight."

~!~

_Coba stood on a container in the lab, watching the scene as it unfolded. Terry was in the midst of a battle with Inque, unaware of a man named Aaron Herbst standing next to a claw machine. Terry retrieved and threw the electric batarang at Inque, striking her down immediately. He landed feet first on the floor, panting for breath as he was exhausted. Aaron threw him down with the claw before picking him up and throwing him in the air, striking him once more. Terry hit a large container, immediately knocked unconscious. Aaron lifted Inque into his arms. "Inque, come on! We've gotta get out of here!"_

_"No," Inque said sharply. "I once took an assignment to kill Batman. I'm going to take care of it now."_

_Batgirl suddenly flew down and snatched her half-brother from the container. "After them!" Inque yelled to Aaron._

_Aaron chased after the siblings obediently, only for him to realize that he could not get anywhere near them while they were airborne. "I can't get them!" he said helplessly._

_Inque groaned in despair. "Do I have to do everything myself?" She shot herself after the Bats, immediately grabbing Coba. Coba threw Terry's unconscious form to a nearby container and struggled wildly as Inque pulled her closer. "You're not getting away this time, Batgirl," she hissed. "You and Batman are dead!"_

_The girl screamed as the villain threw her headfirst at a container, her vision blacking out upon impact before losing consciousness._

Brooklyn woke up at that moment, hyperventilating nervously and letting out a few loud gasps. Ace lifted his head from where he lay by the girl's bed every night since her first night at Wayne Manor. He whined gently to the girl:

"_It's alright. It was just a nightmare._"

Coba looked at the dog through terrified eyes, immediately calming down. She spoke a question that still haunted her mind: "Was it just a nightmare, or was it a warning?"

Ace seemed to shrug. "_I'm not sure, kid. I guess only time will tell._"

"You're not picking on Wayne when you say time, are you?" Coba asked suspiciously.

"_No: I'm not you, you know._"

The girl grinned. "Yeah, that's true. It's a good thing, too. You don't have to deal with everything I have to."

The dog grinned back. "_I wouldn't be so sure of that if I were you._"

"Well, you don't have to wear _tights_ any time soon!" Coba pointed out.

Ace's face creased in embarrassment. "_Er, I guess that's true._"

"Ya think?" Coba said with a large grin.

"Are you alright, Coba?" Bruce asked concernedly, walking into the room at that moment. He had been awakened by her loud gasps and decided to check on her. He knew Ace would be comforting Coba, but he also knew from some events of the past six months in which she had nightmares that it would do her some more good to be talking to a human about her troubles.

Coba nodded at her legal guardian. "Yeah, I'm fine," she answered.

"Did you have another nightmare?" Wayne inquired further.

"Yes." Brooklyn shuddered at the very thought of it. "It had to do with Inque."

Bruce sat down on the edge of his ward's bed in concern. "Tell me what happened this time," he requested.

Although she did not want to talk about it at that moment, Coba knew that she could not persuade Bruce to wait until morning. "Alright," she sighed in defeat, "here's what happened..."


	4. Chapter 3: A Trust Is Broken

Terry sat at the large entrance to the Batcave, fusing together all of the cracks on the doors. Coba and Bruce walked up to him from behind. "What are you doing?" Coba asked curiously.

"Sealing off all of the cracks so Inque doesn't ooze in here," Terry explained, a bit surprised to see his half-sister standing in the cave.

"What makes you sure that she'll try to?" Bruce asked.

"She's been here before," Terry replied rather sharply. "She knows the way."

"_Does _she?" Bruce inquired. "It was dark that night." He and Coba grinned at each other mischievously. "And then there's- -"

"- -the way you drive," Coba finished with a slight chuckle.

Terry could tell that his two companions were leaving something out. "Okay, you two," he said irritably. "Cut to the chase. What do you two know that I don't?"

"We've looked at a sample of her on your suit," Bruce said sagely. "Her DNA was damaged while she was frozen."

"So?" Terry asked.

"_So_," Coba explained, "it means that she can't revert to her human form. Since she's unable to do that, she hasn't tried to get in through the big door."

"Then if _I _were her, I'd be looking for a real good doctor right now," stated Terry.

Bruce smirked at the young man. "Ya think?"

Terry nodded. "Yeah, and there can't be too many doctors with the sort of stuff that Inque needs. Let's get on the computer and- -"

"Way ahead of ya, bro," Coba interrupted, handing Terry a note with the address to the only chemical lab in the city.

"Oh," Terry said, feeling kind of stupid. "Right."

"One more thing," said Bruce, reaching into his shirt pocket. He pulled out an electric batarang. "It's not as good as Mr. Freeze's gun, but it's the best I can do on short notice."

McGinnis carefully took the batarang, which immediately sparked. "Be careful," Bruce said gravely.

"I will," Terry reassured his mentor. He walked out of the Batcave the next moment, unaware of what Bruce and Coba were thinking.

"Bruce," Coba said quietly once her half-brother had left, "that nightmare I had last night: it was telling me to follow Terry tonight, or else he'll get killed."

Wayne nodded knowingly. "I knew you would follow him after you told me of that dream. Be careful out there, Coba: it could have also symbolized the death of you."

"I know," Brooklyn said sagely, "but sometimes you have to risk your own life if it means saving another's life."

Bruce grinned momentarily before he became serious once more. "Be careful out there, Batgirl," he said concernedly. "Besides, you still have a ways to go before you master your gliding skills."

Coba grinned back reassuringly. "I'll be careful. Thanks again, Bruce: for everything." _I'm sorry that I'm breaking the promise I kept for six months, brother, but I'd rather become someone you disrespect than be someone who left you to die._

~!~

Inque had already broken into the chemical lab by the time Terry left the cave, aided by a man named Aaron Herbst. The evil woman held an empty glass vial just beneath the spout of a large container. Dark pink liquid dropped steadily from the spout into the small glass, which Inque quickly screwed shut.

"Do they have everything you need?" Aaron asked Inque.

Inque put the vial into her purse, which contained multiple vials of different colors. "I'll make do," she stated bluntly. She turned to walk out of the lab, only to be stopped by Aaron.

"You said there'd be a reward," he reminded her.

The oozy villain looked at him in amusement, taking off her yellow raincoat and hat that served as a disguise for her. "Here, now?" she asked in surprise.

Aaron seemed to ignore his companion's surprised response. "Inque," he said sincerely, "what I want more than anything is to be like you."

"You're serious, aren't you?"

The man nodded. "Dead serious. The power you've got, I want it."

Inque seductively wrapped herself around him. "Then you'll get it," she said as she pulled out and held the vial containing the pink liquid in front of Aaron's face. Herbst grinned in satisfaction, pleased that he would soon have what he wanted most.

A rattling sound suddenly echoed through the lab. "_What_ was that?" Inque wondered anxiously aloud.

* * *

**Author's Notes:  
**

**These past two chapters have been posted rather close together time wise, but I'm not sure if the next one will be as speedy. Please don't be discouraged if it ends up being a week without the next chapter being up- -it _will_ be posted!  
**

**In other Watership's Nightwish Rat news, the poll concerning three favorite characters of _Batgirl of the Future: Rebirth_ is still up on my profile page. Check it out if you haven't yet!**


	5. Chapter 4: Brawl In The Chemical Lab (Up

Terry stayed the chain he had accidentally rattled. _That's a good way to blow your cover, McGinnis_, he thought in irritation. _Let's just hope that they didn't hear you._ He quickly yet stealthily ran across the tops of some containers at the lab for a moment. He had no time to react once he felt his foot touch a slick, gooey substance on the last container. _Darn it, they _did_ hear me!_

Inque pulled herself out from under Batman's feet, causing him to fall towards the ground. Terry opened up his wings and shot out the electric batarang from his arm. The villain dodged the batarang before slamming herself into Terry's face, sending him crashing into a few containers of chemicals. She released him after he collided with the last container. Terry rose up from the pipe he landed on, blood slowly spilling from his mouth. Inque fell and landed directly in front of him before she kicked him in the face. Without warning, her opponent punched and kicked at her, getting his legs caught in her middle and smashing his right fist through her head. Inque grunted as she pulled Batman out of herself and threw him at yet another container. The teen covered his face with his arms in an attempt to protect his face from impact. The container broke in half once Batman crashed into it, knocking him senseless for a moment.

The oozy woman shot herself at Terry, turning her bottom half into a sharp arrow head. Her adversary collected his senses and jumped out of her path just in the nick of time before he started running and jumping back to where his electric batarang had landed. Inque chased after Batman, seeming to grow six spider-like legs to aid her in her pursuit. Terry reopened his wings and shot himself up towards the batarang, Inque still hot on his heels. He was just a few feet away from his weapon before his foe grabbed him and pulled him towards her body. In a matter of seconds he was covered from head to toe by Inque's thick, gooey body before he shot himself out of her. Inque was stunned for a split second before she chased after him once more, only to find that the split second she wasted would cost her dearly. Terry had caught the batarang and threw it at Inque, causing her to scream in agony and fall back down to the platform she had been standing on before Terry's entrance.

Victorious, Terry landed feet first next to Inque's fallen body, gasping for air from exhaustion. He was suddenly struck to the ground from behind by what seemed to be a metal claw. Unbeknownst to him, Aaron had been standing behind the claw machine and watching his fight with Inque. Aaron grabbed Batman by his head with the machine and flung him into the air. He was about to strike the young hero again when he was suddenly wrestled to the ground from behind. Terry came plummeting back down to earth before he was grabbed in midair.

"What are you doing, Coba?" he whispered irritably to his rescuer.

Coba struggled to maintain stability with her gliders, but found it almost impossible to do so. "What does it look like?" she whispered rather harshly. "I'm trying to save your life!"

"The way you're flying will get us both killed! Besides, I had it perfectly under control."

"Not the way _I_ saw it just now and in a nightmare I had last night!" Coba shot back.

"Then why didn't you tell me about it earlier?" Terry asked irritably.

"You never listen to me when I go to warn you! I had to take matters into my own hands, even though you don't like it!"

Batman looked down shamefully. "I guess you're right about that." He suddenly glared at Coba. "Your actions still cost you a sibling!"

The girl glared back at him. "You think I don't know that?" she snapped. "Besides, it took some serious thinking for me to decide that I'd rather _not_ be your sibling than let you die! Why don't we set this matter aside for now and focus on our escape right now instead?"

Aaron picked himself up from the floor before he ran to where his companion lay. He quickly removed the batarang from the puddle that was Inque. He lifted the gooey mess into his arms. "Inque!" he cried. "Inque! Come on, we've gotta get out of here!"

Inque slipped out of Aaron's arms and watched as the two Bats escaped. "Yo know, I once took an assignment to kill them," she said scornfully.

"Then do it!" Aaron snapped. "Get it over with!"

"No," Inque snapped back. "Not until I get the old one, too."

Terry and Coba could hear what Inque was saying before she chased after them. "We're bound to get caught if we don't change this pace!" Terry said urgently to Batgirl.

"You're right," Coba replied sagely, "and we can't let that happen, now can we? Stampede!" she suddenly yelled.

The Batmobile flew into the lab at that very moment, opening its door. Coba quickly threw Terry into the vehicle. The door shut as the young man tried to get out, trapping him inside. "What are you doing?!" he shouted through the glass.

"Holding her off," Coba called back. "Get out of here!"

"Are you crazy?!" Terry yelled in anxiety. "You'll get killed!"

"_You'll_ get killed if you don't leave. Go, now! Bat's in the belfry!" Coba screamed.

At that instant, the Batmobile flew out of the lab. Terry tried to override the vehicle's computer, only to find that his efforts were all in vain. "No!" he screamed in dismay. "Don't do this!"

Coba watched through sad eyes as the Batmobile left with her half-brother inside. "I'm sorry, brother," she murmured. "I have to do what I have to. I hope you'll understand, one day."

The sound of Inque chasing her made Coba's mind return to the reality she was now a part of. She maneuvered to her right, thus avoiding one of Inque's arms. Inque grabbed Coba's left leg suddenly and swung her around until she released her. The girl was flying headfirst at a metal container, her gliders and launchers playing no part in this airborne venture. Her head painfully struck the container, causing stars to form in her vision. She was almost unable to see her enemy come to a stop directly in front of her.

"You're not getting away this time, Batgirl," Inque taunted. "You and Batman are dead!"

Batgirl weakly looked in Inque's direction. "He's not here," she gasped. "How will you be able to kill us both now?"

Inque chuckled wickedly. "You haven't figured it out already? And even _I_ thought you were smart. You're going to be used to lead them to me!"

"No..." Coba gasped, weaker than before. "You'll... fail..." Her vision suddenly blacked out and she lost consciousness, her body going limp as these things happened.

* * *

**Author's Notes:**

**There you have it: you have the knowledge of why Coba had a headache during the prologue- -_and_ you are now up to speed on what happened before her memory loss. The next chapter will start where the prologue left off, so feel free to go back and read it again if you have to. Sorry about Coba yelling "stampede": I had the opening scene from the film _Tremors_ stuck in my head (I thought about having her say "Stampede, Earl!" like Kevin Bacon's character did in the film, but I shortened it to "Stampede!" to keep from having people wonder who Earl was).  
**

**Character poll is still up on my profile page and will be there at least until the end of this book (which is most likely going to be very soon). Go there and vote if you haven't already (and if want to)!  
**


	6. Chapter 5: A Desperate Situation

**Author's Notes:  
**

**Sorry it took longer to post this chapter. I went through a couple of plot changes to make it not as predictable. Nonetheless, here it is...  
**

* * *

**Present.**

"I remember now," Coba said in a distant voice. "I was captured and kept alive to lure you here for Inque to kill."

"Do you know where you are now?" Terry asked.

Coba looked around at her surroundings once more. "Some sort of sports arena," she replied. "It looks like nobody's been here in years."

"Where exactly is it?" Bruce asked.

"I'm sorry, I wasn't awake when they brought me here, but- -" Coba suddenly stopped talking at the sight of her captors approaching her. Her breathing became helplessly quick and short in anxiety.

Bruce and Terry, however, were unaware of Inque and Herbst's entrance.

"But what?" Bruce inquired. "Coba?"

"Is something wrong?" cried Terry. "Speak up!"

"Answer us!" Bruce shouted.

Inque could just barely hear the men's voices from six inches away from Coba. "They're Batman and the old guy, aren't they?" she asked her prisoner. Coba could only sit where she was and hyperventilate, but Inque could tell by the look in her eyes that she was indeed talking to Batman and "the old one." "This is going to be perfect," Inque murmured happily. She grabbed Coba by her suit roughly. "Tell them you're at the Gotham Hills Arena and they should come right away," she ordered.

Batgirl remained silent. Although she was scared half to death for her own safety, she did not want her friends to be hurt in her place.

The villain wrapped her arm tightly around Coba's neck, causing her to choke and gasp for breath. "Tell them!" she growled.

"No," Coba gasped.

Inque simply tightened her grip on the girl's neck. "Do it!" she ordered.

"Leave her alone, Inque!" yelled Bruce. "Just tell us where you are yourself!"

"Alright then," Inque said, releasing her dangerous hold on Coba. "You two had better listen carefully," she said wickedly. "We are at the Gotham Hills Arena. Come here at once- -" she dramatically paused- - "or Batgirl _dies_."

"No, don't come!" Coba yelled anxiously. "She'll kill us all if you- -mph!"

Inque had tightly wrapped her arm around Coba's mouth at that moment, holding it shut. "Alright," Bruce's distorted voice stated bluntly, "we're on our way. Just stop hurting her."

"I can't guarantee that I won't," Inque replied darkly. She looked closely at Coba as she removed her arm from Coba's mouth. "They'll be here," she said to the terrified girl in a quiet, evil voice. "Who are they to you, anyway? Your father and grandfather?" She waited expectantly for a moment for Coba to say something, only to receive silence as a response. "I'll find out very soon, even if you don't tell me before they come."

Coba watched as Inque left the wrestling ring. Aaron looked at the imprisoned girl, his regretful eyes meeting hers of despair, before following the woman he swore he would be loyal to. Tears of helplessness flowed freely down Brooklyn's cheeks, followed by small sobs. _It's all my fault. Now Bruce and Terry will die because of my reckless actions._

_You must be strong, my daughter. Don't let Inque see any more of your fear._

_Mom_, Coba thought in recognition, struggling to do as Natalie told her. _What do I do now?_

_You must get free. If you're fast enough, you can save Bruce, Terry and yourself._

_But how do I do that?_ Coba wondered, perplexed. _I still don't remember much about my training!_

_The only way I can help you right now is to tell you that you must concentrate. Good luck, child._

~!~

"We have to go," Bruce told Terry. "She needs our help!"

Terry glared at the old man. "What's with the 'we' and 'our'?" he said irritably. "I'm not going."

Bruce glared back at the young man. "That's your sister's life at stake!" he snarled.

"She's _not _my sister anymore!" McGinnis shouted. "She deliberately disobeyed me, and I warned her of the consequence! She doesn't respect me, so I'm not respecting her."

"You selfish and spineless _fool_!" Bruce shouted back. "Coba was reluctant to continue her training when you threatened to not be her sibling anymore if she did! If she obeyed your request, you'd be in her place right now or even dead! She knew this would be your fate, so she took your place! Don't you see? She cares about your well being more than anyone else's, even her own. She clearly _does_ respect you!" Bruce got up from the chair and walked towards a familiar place in the cave. "Coba cares immensely for you, and she always has. She has been doing everything in her power to be there for you. I believe it's time that you returned the favor. Even your mother would agree, the one woman who still doesn't care much for her." A light came on in front of him, revealing the Exo-suit.

Terry looked at Bruce in surprise. "Are you crazy?" he exclaimed. "You said yourself that the suit put too much strain on your heart. It'll kill you!"

As Bruce grabbed the suit and changed into it, he shot Terry a look of shock. "Maybe so, but you still don't know the meaning of what Coba said six months ago, do you? Sometimes you have to risk your life if it means saving that of another." He put on a large trench coat and the hat-mask combination he wore the night Inque got into the cave. "I'm going. If you change your mind about leaving Coba to die, you know where I'll be."

Wayne left the cave the next moment. _I truly hope Terry understands all of this soon_, the man thought. _Heaven help Gotham city if he never does! _

As Bruce left, he allowed a dark-haired teenage girl- -whom Terry immediately recognized- -enter the cave. "Hi, Terry," she greeted him, irritation in her voice clearly audible.

Terry was shocked. "Dana?"

* * *

**Author's Notes:  
**

**I bet I caught a few of you off guard when Dana entered the Batcave, hee hee. :P A question on your minds might be: what's Dana doing in there? That might be answered in Chapter 6. (I say _might_ because I'm still not too sure if I'll answer it then or not. Yes, I like keeping myself caught up in the suspense :D.)  
**

**Any-who, that does it for Chapter 5. Stick around for number 6, if you would like to! (I'll try to post it tomorrow. If not then, it'll be posted someday soon after- -within the week, in other words.) Character poll for _Rebirth_ is still up at least until the end of this book, which at this pace will be very soon. Take this chance to vote if you haven't yet (and if you want, I'm not meaning to force you)!_  
_**


	7. Chapter 6: Terry's Decision

"Don't be so surprised, McGinnis," Dana snapped. "I've known for several weeks where the cave is- -and I've been here a few times to train alongside Coba."

"You were being trained?" Terry said in disbelief. "I didn't think Wayne would want you to."

Dana looked into Terry's eyes angrily. "Of course he didn't! Coba had to talk him into letting me. Also, do you ever wonder why I gave you another try even after I called it quits?"

The boy thought for a minute, then shook his head. "No, I never did."

"Coba told me about what you really do for Mr. Wayne," Dana said frostily.

"She told you about me being Batman? I made her promise not to!"

"_And_ she told me about her brief period of being Batgirl," Dana added. "But at the same time, she knew I could be trusted with the secret, although I kinda forced it out of her by not listening to her pleas. The main reason why Wayne let me train with Coba was because he trusts Coba's instincts- -even more than his own, he admitted." She looked at her boyfriend curiously, her eyes still as cold as ice. "Her breaking that promise worked out better for the two of us, don't you think, _Batman_?"

"But why did she choose to tell you then?" Terry inquired.

"Coba saw how devastated you were when Melanie Walker turned out to be part of the Royal Flush Gang." Dana held up a hand just as Terry was about to interrupt. "Yes, I learned about that too. Coba came to my house the night Melanie was arrested, asked me if I could give you another chance, and, when I refused, reluctantly explained everything to me: why you're hardly around anymore, what you're really doing for Mr. Wayne, etc." She shook her head angrily. "You have some nerve to say that she doesn't care about you. What I've seen and heard from her tells me the complete opposite." She pulled off her shirt at that moment, revealing a charcoal gray suit. "Besides, who would leave someone who annoys them to die? Coba wouldn't, and neither would the man I love- -_if_ he still exists."

Terry's eyes widened. "What's that?" he asked curiously.

Dana gave a forced laugh. "You mean Wayne hasn't shown you the three Batwoman suits?" Her eyes gained more sincerity and coldness. "I'm going out there, whether you are or not. Coba's like a little sister to me, you know!"

Batman looked at Dana seriously. "I don't doubt that for a minute," he said somberly. "She's like a little sister to everyone." He chuckled a little. "Except for Nelson, that is."

Even Dana had to laugh a bit. "That's very true."

Terry became serious once more. "After hearing everything from you and Bruce, I now know why Coba is the way she is: she was discriminated against because of her leg, her mother was murdered, Dad was killed, and then she was nearly killed by Dad's murderer. She wants to give everyone a chance to be happy, something she's hardly ever had." He closed his eyes as guilty tears formed in them. "How could I have been so blind to not see that sooner?"

The young man and Dana both remained silent for a minute. Terry opened his eyes once more, his tears replaced by a sense of urgency. "Let's go!" he said seriously, running towards the Batmobile. "It may almost be too late!"

Dana grinned as she followed Batman. "The man I love still exists, after all," she murmured proudly.

~!~

The wheels in Brooklyn's mind spun vigorously. _Bruce taught me how to get out of these last night, but how did he say to do it? It was the most simple thing, too!_ She sat very still for a few seconds, deep in thought, before she finally remembered. _Ah-hah! I twist one hand this way with the chain, and pull the other hand free!_

The chain's full weight pulled down Coba's right hand before she placed it noiselessly on the ground. "Now to get out of here," she muttered. She suddenly caught sight of a familiar silhouette approaching her. Thinking fast, Coba put the chain back on around her hands. Luckily, Inque was too distracted to notice the girl's actions.

"You only gave me half the treatment!" a very unsteady voice said.

"You should've known better than to trust me, Aaron," Inque said unsympathetically. "Especially after what you were doing to me while I was frozen. Now if you'll excuse me, I have to check on the little prisoner." She approached Batgirl menacingly, watching satisfactorily as her eyes. "You know for a Bat you're not as composed as you once were. You disappoint me greatly."

Coba closed her eyes slowly and swallowed, thus swallowing most of her fear. She reopened her eyes and grinned competitively at the villain. "I disappoint you? Well, you haven't seen anything yet!"

Before Inque had the chance to reply, Coba once again freed herself of the chain and swung it through Inque's middle. She quickly grabbed some small pellets- -which she knew to produce smoke- -from a pouch on her belt and threw them to the ground. She immediately turned on her suit's camouflage while Inque still could not see anything.

"Your efforts to escape are useless, Batgirl!" Inque shouted. "I have a lot of guards standing outside. There is not way you can get away!"

Batgirl knew Inque was bluffing, but she decided to not say a word. She knew that to speak at this point was to be caught once more- -possibly for good. She darted to the nearest wall stealthily, throwing a few pebbles to the far end of the arena to trick her nemesis into thinking that she was still in there. She followed the hallway silently before she had the large doorway in her sights, just a few yards away. With freedom in her sights, she darted almost noiselessly towards the doors.

If it were not for Herbst's deformed body lying directly in her path, Coba would have escaped without any more problems.

~!~

"Can't you drive a little more carefully, Ter?" Dana asked irritably. "Every time you hit the brakes your Batear keeps getting in my Bateye."

Terry did not bother to look at Dana, for the Batmobile was hardly big enough for the pair of them and he did not have to worry about his girlfriend being in a completely different area. "Sorry, but being careful is not going to help us at this moment," he said curtly. "It'll help us out a great deal if we are careful inside the arena instead of just outside of it."

Dana groaned. "Can't we be careful the _entire_ time?"

"Maybe _you_ can, but _I_ can't," Terry countered. "I can only be careful fifty-percent of the time. I'm a man of consequence and a risk-taker, remember?"

The girl was about to argue, but realized that her boyfriend was absolutely right and that she had no reason to disagree. She simply changed the subject. "Did you notice that we passed Mr. Wayne a few minutes ago?" she asked.

"Yeah, duh. I'm driving!" Terry snapped.

"Just making sure you're paying attention," Dana explained, "because you're about to fly us through that building directly in front of us."

Terry noticed the tall building just in time before he steered the Batmobile abruptly to the left, narrowly missing the structure. He caught sight of the Gotham Hills Arena and flew towards it. He landed the vehicle on the flattest cement part of the arena's roof. "I'm sorry Dana," Terry apologized. "I'm just..." he paused sadly. "I guess I'm just worried about Coba, that's all. What if the last thing I truly said to her was that she was not my sister?"

Dana placed a reassuring left hand on Batman's left shoulder. "It won't be the last thing," she said calmly. "We'll get her out of there, I promise you."

They both heard a loud scream come from inside the building at the very next second, and it struck fear into their hearts- -especially Terry's. "It's Coba!" he shouted.

"Open the door and tell me what the plan is!" Dana demanded, wincing at her boyfriend's loud voice.

Batman did as he was asked. "I'll distract Inque so you can get Coba out," he said briefly.

Dana nodded. "Good plan. Let's go!"

"Good luck... uh, _Batwoman_."

"Good luck, Ter- -" Dana caught herself- - "er, Batman." She and Terry jumped out of the Batmobile, glided down the side of the building, and darted towards the entrance of the arena. _I need to remember to use our aliases while in action_, Dana chided herself.

~!~

A dismayed shout echoed through the arena, followed by a small thud. Inque smiled evilly. _It's about time that loser put himself to good use!_

Coba tried painfully to pick herself up from the ground as her captor rounded the corner at full speed. After trying to turn her camouflage back on to realize that her fall had disabled and damaged it- -as well as her fall having broken her left foot in two places- -she crawled as fast as she could towards the entrance, only to have Inque catch up with her immediately. The evil woman grabbed Batgirl by her right leg and yanked her effortlessly towards her, causing Coba to hit the wall directly behind Inque and let out another distressed scream.

Inque grinned satisfactorily at the sight of Coba's discomfort. "I told you that you could not escape, didn't I?" she asked matter-of-factually.

Batgirl could do nothing but press herself against the wall as the villain spread herself closer and closer around her, making it impossible for her to flee. Inque turned her right hand into a sharp blade before placing the pointy tip at Coba's throat menacingly. Coba was even more terrified than ever, but she remembered her mother's words to her earlier that evening and managed to hide almost all of her fear. Inque rose up her deadly hand, held it directly over Coba's head, and prepared to swing it down upon the girl. Coba closed her eyes and turned her head away, waiting for the blade to strike her down and demand eternal silence from her.

* * *

**Author's Notes:**

**Yep, I ended this chapter on a suspenseful note, didn't I? Not only that, but this is the longest chapter I've posted for this story so far. Who knows? Maybe the next one will be a bit longer!  
**


	8. Chapter 7: A New Predicament

An electric batarang shot past Inque, causing her to lose concentration and her hand to lose its knife-like properties. Coba opened her eyes just as the batarang fell to the ground. She instantly grabbed hold of the weapon and struck her captor. Inque screamed in pain before she backed away from Batgirl, allowing Batgirl to stand up the best she could on her broken foot and launch herself away from the villain with her other crippled- -yet stronger and more usable- -foot. She felt two familiar hands pull her further away from Inque before the owner of the hands let go and stepped between Coba and Inque.

"Batman!" Coba gasped in surprise.

Inque swung her arms at Terry and Coba. Terry grabbed the evil woman's arms tightly, holding them away from the girl. "Get out of here!" he urgently yelled.

Coba crawled quickly towards the doors, only to feel Inque grab her right leg- -the villain having had loosened one arm from Terry's grasp. She quickly opened up her gloves' claws and gripped the concrete floor tightly as Inque struggled to pull her back towards her. Terry became enraged when he saw Coba's predicament. He forcefully threw a normal batarang into Inque's face, causing her to release Batgirl. "Don't. Touch. My. Sister!" Terry growled at his foe.

Brooklyn looked up at Terry in surprise, taken aback by his words but was also gladdened to hear them. _Thanks, brother_, she thought.

A female figure darted across the hallway at that moment, grabbing Coba as it went. They had run out the doors before Inque had the chance to try to grab them. Terry punched Inque angrily through the chest, drawing Inque's attention back to him. "Slag it!" he said gruffly. "I was hoping to pull out your heart!"

The oozy villain threw Batman into the arena forcefully. "There's no chance of that ever happening!" she claimed.

Batman landed on his feet in the arena, not knowing that he was just seven feet away from the column his half-sister was bound to when he and Bruce Wayne spoke to her earlier. "Oh, yeah," he jeered, "I forgot that you don't have a heart!"

"I _do_ happen to have a heart!" Inque countered.

"How silly of me!" McGinnis continued to mock. "Of course you have a heart: it's just as black as you are! No _wonder_ I couldn't find it in the first place!"

Inque slammed Terry against the column forcefully. The young man was immediately immobilized by his pain, allowing his enemy to chain him to the pole the same way she had Coba. "That mouth of yours will be the death of you," Inque said evilly. "That is, you and your other Bat family members."

Terry did not dare to say anything back. He had an eerie feeling that what Inque said would end up being true, whether at that moment or very soon after. _Slag it_, he thought angrily. _What do I do now?_

_At least I have _a_ Bat in my clutches_, Inque thought, partially irritated with herself. _The girl would've been easier to use to lure the old man, although I did just try to kill her. Oh well, I'd rather have this one rather than one that keeps managing to outsmart me. Either way, I _will _win!_

~!~

Coba struggled hard in the woman's grasp once they were outside in the rainy weather. "Let go!" she demanded.

"Coba," the person spoke in a calm, quiet voice, "it's me: Dana!"

"Dana..." Coba pondered, ceasing to struggle as she did.

"Here, look," Dana said calmly, removing her cowl. She noticed Coba's eyes somewhat flash in recognition at the sight of her face. "It's alright, you're with a friend now," she reassured her tense friend.

A relieved smile formed from Coba's mouth. The sound of a car pulling up to the parking lot caused the girls to look up. Dana quickly put her mask back on, hoping that whoever was driving the car did not see her face. The driver's side door opened, a bulky figure stepping out. He looked at the nervous pair curiously, a hint of relief in his eyes as his gaze flickered to Coba.

"Why are you just standing there?" his deep voice said. "You'll catch your death of cold in this weather!"

"Wayne?" Coba asked in surprise. "Is that you?"

Bruce grinned at his ward, relieved that she was still able to recognize him. "The one and only, kid." He looked at Dana. "Aren't you going to let her down?" he asked her.

Dana shook her head. "Not right now," she answered. "I think one of her legs is bothering her."

"Her right one, I presume?"

"My left foot, actually," Coba explained gravely. "It's badly broken."

Wayne became even more concerned. "We'd better get you out of here right now, then."

"But Terry's still in there!" Brooklyn cried. Something suddenly occurred to her. "I haven't heard a thing from in there since you got here, Bruce," she said quietly. "Something's very wrong."

Tan looked at the building in terror. "Oh no," she gasped anxiously, "you don't mean that- -"

"It's a possibility, I'm afraid," Bruce stated solemnly.

Coba shut her eyes slowly as if in deep concentration. After about a minute, she reopened her eyes. "He's still alive," she stated, "but Inque has him chained to a column and he's unable to get away by himself."

"How do you know that?" Dana asked curiously.

"I'm- -I'm not exactly sure," Coba stuttered in confession.

"You're a bit psychic," Bruce informed. "That's how you know."

"Does that mean I'm insane?" Coba asked nervously.

The man shook his head with a slight chuckle. "Trust me: if you were insane, I would've had you put in Arkham Asylum."

"Arkham Asylum?" Coba asked bewilderingly. She shook her head as Bruce made as if to explain. "Tell me about it later," she said hastily. "Terry needs us right now!"

"How do you propose we help him?" Dana asked.

Batgirl thought a moment before grinning. "The only way to stop Inque is to get her wet, right?" she interrogated Wayne.

Bruce nodded. "That, or freeze or electrocute her."

"The freeze gun was broken yesterday, and electricity won't make her melt away," Coba pointed out.

Dana helped her younger friend stand on her feet. "Get to the point, Coba!" she snapped.

"The building has a glass roof that is only covering the top of the arena," Coba explained, wincing as she tried to position her left foot so it would not hurt her as much. "If we can break the glass while Inque is inside the arena we'll be rid of her."

"I don't follow," Tan bluntly stated.

"Coba, it's brilliant!" Bruce exclaimed. "Crazy too, but brilliant!"

"I'm missing something, aren't I?" Dana asked matter-of-factually.

Coba looked at Dana strangely. "It'll be raining all through the night, Dana," she explained. "Break the roof while it's raining- -"

Batwoman finally caught on. "- -and it washes Inque away!" she finished excitedly. She immediately turned her joyous demeanor serious. "How do we get Inque _into_ the arena part, though?"

"It's very simple, really," Coba replied. "Here's the plan..."

* * *

**Author's Note:**

**Yep, I'm holding off the showdown until- -maybe- -the next chapter. Reminder: the character poll is still up on my profile page. After this story, it's closed.  
**


	9. Chapter 8: The Showdown

**Author's Note:**

**Hi, everyone! I'm sorry for the delay of this chapter, but here it is! Please read and review.  
**

* * *

Bruce opened the building's doors and stepped in suspiciously. As Coba had observed a few minutes earlier, it was just too quiet in there for nothing to be wrong. "Hello?" he called, his voice giving away his concern.

Some miserable groaning answered to Bruce's call. Bruce stopped in surprise as a deformed hand suddenly reached out at him. "She only gave me half the treatment!" the owner of the hand said weakly.

"I can see that, Mr. Herbst," Wayne whispered seriously. "I'd get ready to fight Inque, if I were you."

"Why?" Aaron whispered back. "I don't stand a chance against her. I won't do it!"

"A reliable source tells me that you'll have to," Bruce sagely replied.

A noise from the hallway caught the first Batman's attention. "Remember what I said," he whispered urgently to Aaron. He walked towards the sound, not waiting for the diluted man to reply. Cautiously, he looked around the corner and a seemingly heart-lifting sight greeted his eyes: there stood Terry, his shadow casting down the hall. "You got away?" Bruce asked, removing the scarf he wore around his mouth as he took a couple steps towards the young Batman.

An uncanny smile formed on Terry's lips. Before anything else happened, Bruce knew he was in deep trouble. A black tongue came out of Terry's mouth and quickly wrapped itself around the man. _Inque!_

Inque changed back to her normal form, the tongue turning out to be her left arm. "He didn't get away," she stated evilly. She caused her left arm to become twisty like a screw, and thus started to crush Bruce to death. "And neither will you."

Bruce briefly struggled in his captor's grip. _I don't think I can survive this. This is the end..._ He quickly stopped his thoughts in their tracks. _No, I will _not_ give up now, not on the kids!_ Pieces of metal stabbed through his large trench coat, covering him as they did. A Batmask finally covered his face. He spread his arms apart mightily, breaking free from Inque's deadly grip. _Yes!_

Terry, from where he was bound, had seen Bruce's struggling and transformation. He struggled hard in his bonds. "Oh no," he murmured.

~!~

Coba crawled steadily along the metal beams holding up the glass windows, careful not to cast a shadow into the arena. She placed two small rectangular devices in the very center of the beam. She quickly crawled across a couple of the windows with her right index finger's claw silently cutting through them a certain way before she crept back to the part of the roof where Dana was waiting for her.

Dana helped the small teen get back onto the cement part of the roof. "Did you put the explosives where they need to be?" she asked.

Batgirl nodded.

"And you sliced through the glass in case the explosives don't work correctly?"

"Yeah, all we have to do now is wait."

Dana briefly looked down into the building, her gaze immediately shifting to Coba nervously. "It may be sooner than you think!" she warned, pointing her right index finger in the direction she had viewed a moment before. "Look!"

Coba followed Dana's pointing finger to see an armor-clad Bruce Wayne tossing Inque across the arena and into the farthest wall. She looked back at Dana urgently. "That's your q, Batwoman," she said seriously. "Get Terry free, fast!"

"Alright," Dana said as she stood up and left. "Be careful up here."

"I will," Coba reassured her friend. _Although I feel that I'll end up breaking that promise, too._

~!~

Terry helplessly watched as Bruce and Inque fought, having just realized that he could not escape from the chains binding him to the pole. _I just hope he survives this, and that Dana and Coba are safe._

Bruce charged into the arena as Inque picked herself up from where she had landed a second before. The villain charged at the man readily, shooting part of herself out at him. The first Batman held up his wrists and deflected the first few attacks. Inque finally grabbed one of his wrists and flung him against the cement guard of the nearest riser in the arena. Bruce let out a pained grunt as his back collided with the hard cement and fell to the ground.

"NO!" Terry screamed, unaware that Dana and Coba were screaming the same thing at the exact same time as he was, but from different areas.

~!~

The sight of her legal guardian being struck down sent a sense of urgency running through Coba's entire body. _I hope this is worth it_, she thought as she pulled out a batarang. _This is for you, my friend._Without further ado, she flung the weapon at the explosives.

~!~

Inque was about to kill Bruce when the sight of Batwoman running towards Batman caught her attention. Dana, unaware that Inque had spotted her, quickly removed the chain from around her boyfriend's wrists. "Come on!" she yelled urgently.

Terry had just stood up to his feet when Inque wrapped part of herself tightly around both teenagers, holding them to the pole. "You're not going anywhere, Bats!" Inque hissed. "You're both going to stay here and watch this."

A loud explosion sounded from the top of the roof. A couple of small glass shards fell from the roof, allowing only a few drops of rain at a time to go through them. Inque looked up and finally noticed Coba sitting at the edge of the concrete part of the roof. She laughed wickedly.

"Is that all you've got, Batrunt?" Inque taunted.

Coba wisely chose not to respond. She knew that if she said anything, her enemy would suspect another attempt to wash her out.

"I hope you're watching this!" Inque continued. "First, I'll kill the old man! Then these two lovebirds here, then I'll kill you! I'll even hunt you down to do it if I must!" She held a deadly arm directly over Bruce's head and prepared to strike, only to see the deformed Aaron crawl in her path. "Out of my way!" the villain ordered.

Aaron did not seem to hear her. "You didn't keep your promise," he said as steadily as he could, his worsening condition making it almost impossible to do so. "I won't keep mine any longer, either."

"Loser," Inque muttered, raising her arm to toss Aaron aside.

Herbst managed to grab hold of his former partner. "I won't let you hurt any of the Bats again," he proclaimed.

Inque struggled to get Aaron to release her, but the man was too determined to let go. She thrashed around the arena desperately, yet Aaron still held on. _I have to hold her off_, he thought urgently. _She'll kill the Bats if I don't. I don't know how long I'll last, but I must try to go until these three are out of here._ He noticed his opponent let go of Batman and Batwoman. _At least those two are free, now. _

Dana's eyes widened at the sight of the two brawlers crashing towards the boxing ring she and Terry were next to. "Look out!" she cried.

Terry grabbed his girlfriend's hand tightly and ran with her towards Wayne as Inque and Aaron knocked down the boxing ring. Aaron released Inque upon impact, having been knocked senseless that instant. Terry and Dana helped Bruce stand up. The old man looked at McGinnis seriously. "_Now_ do you believe me on why I retired?" he asked gruffly.

The young Batman grinned. "Not entirely," he replied. He saw Inque coming towards them in rage. "Do you think you can keep fighting, old timer?"

Wayne frowned. "Not for very long," he confessed. "What about you two?"

Dana shook her head doubtfully. "I think this'll be a fight to the death," she said solemnly.

"I'm afraid that I agree with you both," Terry said glumly, also frowning.

Inque formed a barrier around the three Bats. "Just to make sure you don't try to run away," she said evilly. She started to close the space between herself and the heroes, intent on suffocating them. "This is it for all of you, so you'd better say your farewells to the Batgirl on the roof."

Coba knew what she had to do now. _I hoped it wouldn't come to this, but here it goes. _She threw herself off of the cement roof's ledge onto the glass she had severed with her claws earlier that night, sending the glass crashing down just to the left of Inque. "Heads up!" Coba screamed.

The oozy villain had no time to react as the rainwater poured down on her. "No!" she screamed in despair as she felt herself melt away, thus freeing Terry, Dana and Bruce. She turned to run to the upper wing of the arena where she had kept the rest of the chemicals she stole earlier, only to realize at the last minute that it was no use to try since she was already so wet. "No!" she repeated, watching her hands dissolve even faster than before. "No- -AAAAHHHH!" The three Bats watched in awe as the rest of Inque washed away through the drain pipes at the floor of the arena until nothing was left of her.

The original Batman was the first to come to his senses. "Where's Batgirl?!" he exclaimed.

"Up here!" the young girl's voice answered urgently.

Terry looked up in despair to see Coba clinging desperately to the edge of the cement part of the roof. As she fell the glass, Coba had grabbed the cement with her gloves' claws. "Hold on!" Terry yelled.

Batgirl felt her claws starting to lose their grip on the roof. "Terry!" she screamed fearfully. "I'm slipping!"

The sound of Coba's panic-stricken voice was more than Batman could stand. He stretched out his suit's gliders and used the rocket-launchers in the suit's feet to fly himself up to the roof. He landed on the part of the building's cover that his half-sister held on to. Dana and Bruce could do nothing but watch helplessly as Coba slipped further down. Terry reached his right hand down to Brooklyn. "Grab hold!" he instructed.

Coba managed to fling herself so her right hand could reach her half-brother's, but her left hand lost its grip on the cement. Terry's hand never reached hers at that moment. Batgirl let out a terrified scream as she started to fall to her certain death.

"COBA!" Dana screamed in terror, unable to tear her gaze away from the horrifying scene.

* * *

**Author's Note:**

**Oh no, the crazy author just ended the chapter on yet _another_ suspenseful note! THE WORLD'S COMING TO AN END! Just kidding, no it's not. The story is almost over, though: just a couple more chapters, anyway.  
**

**Yet another reminder: the character poll from the last book is still up, and only 3 people have voted! Please go and vote for your fave chars before it's too late!  
**


	10. Chapter 9: A Family's Reconciliation

Terry immediately reached after his falling sister, miraculously catching her by her outstretched right hand. Coba clamped her hand around Terry's wrist instinctively. "Give me your other hand!" he gasped urgently, straining to hold her up.

Coba gripped her left hand around her brother's wrist, just above her right hand. Batman heaved her up and over the ledge to safety without too much trouble. Yet once Coba's left foot touched the cement, she let out a pained yelp and fell down towards the roof's "floor", taking Terry with her. Terry managed to twist himself so Coba landed on his lap instead of the hard surface. Batgirl gasped nervously for a moment before McGinnis turned her head towards his and removed their masks, his light blue eyes reassuringly looking into hers of cobalt blue and reddish-brown. "It's alright," he said soothingly. "You're out of trouble now."

"Batman!" Dana yelled concernedly from the arena. "Are you two alright?"

"Yes!" Terry called back. "Meet up with us in the parking lot!"

"On our way there!" Batwoman responded.

The teenage boy turned his attention back to his distressed sibling. "It's alright, Batgirl," Terry repeated calmly, pulling Brooklyn's head to his shoulder for he knew she was on the verge of having an emotional breakdown. "I got ya, Coba. I got ya." He stood up steadily, helping his half-sister to stand up as well. "Let's meet up with Bruce and Dana and get out of here. Sound good?"

Coba was too shaken to respond vocally, so she simply nodded. She limped alongside Terry for about a minute until they reached the edge of the building. Batman pulled his cowl back over his face and waited for Coba to copy his actions before he flew himself and the girl down into the parking lot, where Bruce and Dana were already waiting for them.

~!~

Bruce, Dana and Terry sat nervously in the waiting room of the hospital. It had already been three hours since they arrived and the doctors started operating on Coba's left foot, but none of the nurses came out to say whether or not the surgery was going well. Terry had already called his mother and said that he would be home very late this night, as Dana had done with her father. One of the nurses came out five minutes later and greeted the trio.

"The good news is, your friend will make a full recovery," the nurse said dutifully. "The bad news is, she's going to be unable to walk on her own for two months."

McGinnis looked at her curiously. "What does that mean?" he asked. "Will she have to use crutches or a wheel chair, or will someone have to carry her?"

"She'll have to use both wheelchair and crutches," the nurse replied sagely. "The crutches for going to the places closest to her, the chair for longer distances. She'll still need close supervision at all times, except when she's asleep."

"How much school will she have to miss?" Wayne inquired.

The kindly nurse looked briefly at the chart she held. "About a week's worth," she replied.

"Lucky," Terry muttered.

"I'm thinking," Dana agreed, suppressing a small chuckle.

Bruce shot a Batglare at the two teens, silencing them immediately. "Thank you, nurse," he thanked the woman.

"You're very welcome, Mr. Wayne," the nurse said as she curtsied. "Would you three like to see her right now?"

"Yes, but just one at a time." Bruce looked at Terry. "Terrence, you may go in first."

The nurse looked at Batman with a smile. "Right this way, please." Terry gave Bruce a grateful look before following the nurse down the corridor. The nurse stopped in front of a door. "Wait here a moment, please," she requested gently. She opened the door and peered inside. "You have a visitor, Miss Brooklyn," she said politely. She looked at Terry once more. "You may go in, now."

Terry thanked the nurse before he stepped into the room. He hardly noticed the nurse close the door part way behind him. "Hey, Coba," he said calmly.

Coba looked up at the boy and managed a smile. Terry, however, could tell she had been crying within the last hour. "Hi," she said quietly.

"How are you feeling?" Terry asked concernedly, sitting down in a chair next to Coba's bed.

"Nauseous from being sedated and my foot is greatly pained," Coba responded in a depressed tone. "Other than that, just great."

"Come on, Coba," Terry said a bit sharply. "We both know that's a lie: it's obvious on your face and in your tone that you're upset. What's bothering you- -besides your foot and sickness?"

Batgirl was silent for a few moments. Knowing that Terry was still looking at her expectantly, she finally let out a sigh of defeat. "I guess I'm just a bit worked up from today's events," she answered.

"A _bit _worked up?" Batman asked doubtfully.

"Okay, a _lot _worked up," Coba snapped. "What more do you want?" She looked down as shameful tears filled her eyes. "I'm sorry," she apologized. "I shouldn't have been so harsh."

"Don't worry about it," Terry said calmly. "We're all at least a little worked up after the things that happened today. It was a close call for all of us, you know."

"I know," Coba said without looking up, guilt clearly audible in her voice. "But I can't help but feel that it's all my fault. I was too reckless and blind: I got myself captured which lured you to Inque; nearly killed Bruce and Dana with my main plan to get you out and stop Inque for good; and nearly died to save all three of you when it failed. Not just that, but when I grabbed that ledge I discovered that I really wasn't as ready to die as I thought I was." Tears fell down her cheeks slowly at first, then they came pouring down. "I'm sorry I behaved the way I did. I really _am_ more trouble than I'm worth. I don't deserve to be your sister, let alone half of one."

Terry lifted Brooklyn's head so they were looking eye-to-eye. "Don't be sorry," he stated soothingly. "None of this is your fault: it's Inque's. She's the reason why this all happened, not you. Wayne himself said that you saw it coming whether it was me or you Inque had. He and Dana also said that they went in regardless of whether or not your plan would work, because they knew you'd have another trick up your sleeve at the very second everything went awry. Reckless? Yes. Blind? No."

McGinnis's eyes grew even more sincere. "_I_ was blind for the past two-and-a-half-years," he confessed. "I kept thinking that I was being there for you by blackmailing you into staying out of the crime-fighting world to be safe, but I now know what being there for someone really means: it means that you've got their back no matter what. In case you still don't remember much, you've always had my back ever since the day Dad first introduced us, even though I hated you at first for being one of the many reasons my parents split and because I thought of you as a ball and chain that I had to take everywhere with me. I mean: you'd stand up for me whenever I was in trouble for something whether or not it was my fault; you could've gone back into the house out of fear for your own well being when you knew the Jokerz would be chasing me, but you instead ran all the way to Wayne Manor and helped me and Bruce fight them off; you faced those security guards at Wayne-Powers by yourself to make sure that I got to the hover pads; the night Inque got into the cave you fought against her to save me; when Melanie Walker went to prison you knew how upset I was, so you went to Dana and pleaded with her to give me another chance; you risked everything to make sure that I got out of the chemical lab; and tonight you risked your life once more so the rest of us could live.

"_I_ should be the sorry one," Terry continued. "I was very slow- -almost _too_ slow, in fact- -at realizing how much I mean to you and vice versa. I promise you this: I'll be there for you more often from now on. Not because you're more trouble than you're worth, but because you are my sister and I'm proud to call you that."

Coba smiled. "Thanks, Ter," she said quietly, tears of happiness coming down instead of those of shame. "It's not the only reason why you came for me though, is it?"

"It's not," Terry admitted. "It's something else that I've been told for the past six months, but I didn't understand it until tonight when I saw you do it."

"What was it?" Coba asked, although she knew very well what it was.

Batman leaned closer to his sibling and whispered, "Sometimes you _have_ to risk your own life to save that of another."

"And exactly how long have you been Batman and not figured it out?" Batgirl whispered jokingly.

"Too long," Terry replied with a grim smile. "By the way, how did you manage to escape from those chains?"

"Let's just say that the art of escaping is not as lame as you may think," Coba grinned.

Terry lightly chuckled. "Yeah, I sure wish I knew the 'art of escaping' before what happened tonight."

Bruce walked into the room at that moment with Dana following him closely. Terry looked at Bruce in bewilderment. "What happened to 'one at a time?'" he asked.

Dana answered for the old man. "We both grew impatient of waiting our own turns," she explained honestly, "so we both agreed to come in at the same time. Don't you agree, Coba?"

"Yeah, it sounds logical," Coba agreed.

"We figured you'd say that," Bruce said with a slight grin. "How are you feeling?"

"Better than I did earlier, I'll grant you that," the girl replied. "I do have a question, though."

Wayne's grin faded. "What might that be?"

"What happened to Aaron Herbst?"

"Well, we took the poor diluted fool to a medical facility downtown," Bruce answered solemnly. "I'm afraid he'll be stuck in the physical state he's in right now for the rest of his life."

"He's being looked after, at least," Coba stated. Something suddenly popped into her mind. "You know that saying 'what goes around comes around?'"

The other three Bats nodded. "Yeah," Dana stated in bewilderment. "What about it?"

"I overheard Inque and Herbst talk about when he had to keep an eye on her at the cryogenics lab," Brooklyn explained. "I have a sneaking hunch that he's about to be watched over the same way he watched Inque."

Bruce cringed at the thought. "Oh, _that's_ what you mean by 'what goes around comes around.'"

"What might that be?" Terry asked.

Coba waved a dismissive hand. "I'll tell you when you're older."

Dana's eyes lit up. "May _I_ know?"

The first Batman shook his head. "Trust us," he said sagely: "you don't even want to know."

Terry and Dana were both about to argue, but a glance at each of their friends' eyes changed their minds. Whatever it was Bruce and Coba were referring to, it was too terrible to repeat.

* * *

**Author's Notes:**

**There you have it: the longest and mushiest chapter of the book. The epilogue is next (and last, of course), but I don't know how long _that_ one will be. Then again, the first two chapters of _Batgirl of the Future: Rebirth_ were each over 3,000 words, the first being pretty close to 4,000. O_O (Oh great, there I go about to ramble again. I'd better stop before I get too carried away!)  
**

**The character poll from _Batgirl of the Future: Rebirth_ is still up on my profile page. This is the last time I'll mention it before I take it down!  
**

**"Epilogue" will be posted after I post Chapter 4 for _Lethal Rabbit_, my Lethal Weapon & Watership Down crossover story. So until then, please bear the wait (and/or even read _Lethal Rabbit_)!**

**P.S: "Epilogue" will be pretty exciting compared to several other epilogues I've read.**


	11. Epilogue

**Author's Notes:**

**Here it is, the conclusion to the second book to the _Batgirl of the Future _series ****(and possibly last depending on how many people like and how many people don't like this series)**. Please R&R!

* * *

**Six weeks later.**

Terry, Dana and Coba stood in front of Hamilton Hill High School, isolated from everyone else who attended the district, deep in conversation with a friend of theirs. "So, you three are the Bats I've seen every now and then?" their friend asked.

Coba nodded. "That's correct, Max, although I'm currently on hiatus."

"Oh yeah," Max stated sympathetically, "your foot is still recovering from that last battle you had. Still, it's gotta feel good to not have to go out there for a while."

"I don't think I ever really _had _to go out there," Coba explained. "I went on my own accord."

"You're right as usual, sis," Terry pointed out. He looked at Max. "So, what are you going to do about our secret?" he asked her.

Max chuckled. "I'm going to keep it, of course!" She became serious. "I might even be able to help you guys with your homework sometimes. Although- -" she glanced at Coba- - "_you_ probably don't even need my help with homework, thirteen-year-old senior in high school!"

"Almost fourteen," Batgirl corrected with a chuckle. "I _will_ need help getting around for a little while, though."

A car's horn honked from the parking lot. "Wayne's here for ya, Coba," Terry stated. "I hope that visit between you two and Herbst goes well."

"I know it will, bro," Coba reassured him. "We'll offer him the cure we found. I have a feeling that he'll take it, but to be perfectly honest I'm not absolutely sure. I do know, however, that we can trust him if he does."

The horn honked again. "You'd better get going before he drives all the way over here," Dana said with a chuckle. "He might run us over if he does."

"Yeah, it actually _does_ sound like something he'd do," Brooklyn agreed. "I'll see you guys later."

"See ya later, Coba!" the girl's companions called simultaneously.

Coba traveled down the sidewalk with the aid of her crutches. _I've had these things for six weeks and I'll need them for two more_, she thought irritably. _The time remaining is two weeks too long: I _hate_ these things!_ _Well, at least I don't need supervision with these anymore- - _and _Wayne parked up front this time. Not that far to- -_

"Stop right where you are, runt!"

_- -go._

Brooklyn turned her head to see who was talking. Nelson Nash, HHH's biggest athlete and jerk, was standing directly behind her. "That's right, double-limper," he growled, "I'm talking to you."

"What do you want, Nash?" Coba growled back.

Nelson's eyes blazed with rage. "I want to settle the score," he snarled. "You tripped me with your crutches earlier when I just wanted to talk with that brother of yours."

"We both know what was really going through that head of yours," she shot back: "you were going to start a fight with him, get him into trouble, and you would convince the adult nearby that it wasn't your fault so you could walk away without problems."

"I already told you several times to never read my mind!" Nelson barked.

Coba shot him her best Batglare. "And I already told _you_ several times that I don't take orders from anyone," she growled, "especially not from dregs like you!"

Nelson grabbed Coba by her shirt collar and forcefully slammed her against the nearby flagpole. Batgirl released her right crutch and threw a rough punch into Nelson's face, knocking out a few of his teeth in the process. The jock punched Coba in the jaw before he threw her to the ground. Coba managed to twist herself so her left foot did not touch the sidewalk, but instead the wind was knocked out of her lungs upon impact. Nelson pinned Coba's arms down with his knees and started to punch her in the face relentlessly. The girl grabbed one of her crutches and smacked it against Nelson's side, causing him to fall over and release her. Nash started to rise when he was knocked flat once more by the crutch. Coba sat up weakly, her vision blurred from being hit so many times. She could just barely see Nelson's silhouette coming at her again with his fist ready to strike her again.

Nash was suddenly tackled to the ground before he had the chance to hit Coba. Although her vision was almost completely blurred, Batgirl was the first to recognize the new fighter. Nelson glared at his attacker. "Let me up, McGinnis!" he ordered.

Terry glared back. "Alright," he growled, letting Nelson rise. "Just get out of here- -or you'll answer to me again."

The bully wiped the blood from his mouth. "She's not worth the trouble, anyway," he snarled. "But you are, McGinnis. I'll take you down soon enough, and that runt won't be around to stop it."

Batman slammed his fist into Nelson's face. "Ow!" Nelson shrieked. "What was that for?!"

"For talking that way about my sister!" Terry snarled. "Now beat it!"

Nelson fearfully ran away from the two siblings, sobbing as he did. Dana and Max approached their friends, watching as Nelson fled. "What a wuss!" Dana said quietly.

"No kidding," Max agreed. She helped Terry stand Coba back up. "Are you okay?" she asked the small girl concernedly.

Coba nodded, her vision getting better as she did. "Yeah," she answered. She looked at her half-brother and grinned. "You really _weren't_ kidding about having my back, were you?"

Terry grinned back. "No, no I wasn't."

~!~

"I can't thank you two enough," Aaron said thankfully to Bruce and Coba once they were at Wayne Manor. The duo had given him the "cure" for his condition, turning him into the same being Inque was.

Bruce looked at him seriously. "I'm warning you, we can easily turn you back into that mess you just were if you fail to follow by our conditions," he bluffed, actually sounding very sincere.

Aaron looked at Wayne curiously. "What exactly are these conditions?" he asked.

"My friend here will answer that question," Bruce stated bluntly, gesturing to Coba.

Brooklyn dutifully took over from where her legal guardian left off. "Our first and most important rule," she said severely, "is that you will use your abilities for good- -not evil like Inque does. Secondly, you must work with Batman and his companions from time to time. Third, you must refrain from showing people your true identity while in your alternate form. Fourth, you must also refrain from using the same behaviors you used towards Inque on anyone else. And finally, you must agree to never speak to anyone else of what we have done for you. Can you handle that?"

Herbst nodded. "Of course I can," he replied.

"Very good then," Bruce said more lightheartedly. "Good luck out there, Mr. Herbst."

"Thank you," Aaron thanked the old man. He looked at Coba curiously. "What happened to your face?" he asked concernedly.

"Fight at school," Coba honestly replied. "Thanks for the concern."

"No problem." Aaron left the estate at the next moment. "I'll see you guys around!" he called over his shoulder.

"Alright," Bruce called back. "Take care!" He waited until Aaron was gone before he looked at his ward. "Do you really think that we can trust this man?" he asked.

Coba nodded. "I _know_ we can trust him. What do you say we prepare for Terry to arrive?"

Wayne grinned. "Good plan, _Batgirl_."

"Thanks, _first Batman_."

* * *

**Author's Notes:**

**That wraps up this story, folks! Remember to let me know of what you think of this book and the one before it, then I'll decide if the series needs another sequel.**

**The character poll from book one is officially closed and down! PM me if you would like to know what the results are.**


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